Close Up
by syaoran no hime
Summary: For a birthday gift to annoy her best friend's boyfriend, Tomoyo decides to give Li Syaoran a special videotape containing hours of nothing but Hiiragizawa goodness. Eriol cooperates heartily. She ends up getting more than she bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

The first time this idea came to her mind, she thought it was brilliant. No, it was SMASHING! It was fantastically cute, saccharine sweet, and more importantly, it was something that would annoy Li Syaoran till kingdom come and one that her best friend Kinomoto Sakura would NEVER consider a prank.

However, when she shared her winning gameplan (or simply, 'Plan', as she liked to call her breakthrough brainstorm) with her ever-devoted ally Kero-chan and the distant moon guardian Yue, she got a 'you-gotta-be-kidding-me' look from the two.

"Birthday present? For the brat? But didn't he just seal your video camera with a water incantation card two days ago?" Keroberos was referring to what Li did when she tried to videotape him as he was forced/cheered-on by Sakura to grab the microphone and belt out Frank Sinatra's famous song one fine day that the three of them went downtown.

"I had Sakura-chan undo the enchantment," she replied simply.

"Last week, he also called your early Sakura costume designs too girly," the yellow creature pointed out, determined to pinpoint the brown-haired male's glaring unworthiness to receive a gift from her.

"I already made a yellow shirt and orange jumpsuit for him, and I talked Sakura-chan into making him wear it for their date."

"Two months ago, he 'accidentally' contaminated Sakura with his cold virus when she was about to model for your online custom clothing store," insisted Kero.

"I made him model the clothes," she reminded the animal.

The sun guardian's petite form circled in the air several times, thinking of possible heinous crimes that the Hongkong brat may have committed, but none dawned in its recall attempts. In the end, it cried out, "AND… A-AND THE BRAT ATE THAT CHOCOLATE SANDWICH I WAS SAVING FOR DESSERT!"

"When was that?" Yue asked testily as Tomoyo proceeded to calm the distressed chocolate sandwich-deprived soul.

"LAST SATURDAY!" wailed his counterpart guardian.

"Didn't you just steal that slice from the pastry that the Mistress had originally prepared for the Clow Descendant?" pointed out the silver-haired male.

Kero sniffed delicately. "That brat stole what I stole. That qualifies as theft, if you ask me."

"…" Yue.

"Kero-chan, don't get so worked up," she said soothingly, stroking its wings gently. "I promise that you'll _love _the birthday gift I have in store for him."

The animal smiled weakly. "You'll give him a DVD set of _American Pie 1, 2 _and _3_?"

"Much better than that." Her sugary smile, rarely displayed, made both guardians nervous. After their duties as Sakura's guardians seemed to be less urgent, the two had been asked by both the Clow Mistress and the Clow Reincarnation to look after Tomoyo instead. The order didn't come with personal reasons included, but they welcomed it.

A year or so had allowed the three of them to share an intimate bond unique from the one the guardians had with Sakura or Eriol. The two keepers concluded that while Daidouji Tomoyo had the kindness of Sakura and the sensitivity of Clow Reed, she had her own characteristics that until now remain an unexplained mystery for them… characteristics that people who knew Tomoyo would never think possible for her to be.

For instance, how many people knew that while Daidouji Tomoyo acknowledged the destiny that was SyaoranSakura, she was still facing a long weary path ahead of acceptance and living with that fact?

There were instances that they would watch her compete with him for Sakura's attention, or manipulate the naïve girl into something that would make Syaoran hit the ceiling immediately. They were harmless little stunts that aimed to manifest how she still held power and influence on Kinomoto Sakura until the present.

But in the end, they felt what Tomoyo felt: cute as they were, her little acts were but pitiful attempts to gain back what she didn't technically lost. As the raven-haired Daidouji put it, "It's a nice thought to share until the time comes for you to do it and share possession of the most important thing in your life".

For that, Yue considered her an unholy angel—innately good and selfless, but has her moments of playful mischief and occasional angst that teenagers of the modern society seemed to embrace so fondly.

On the other hand, Kero-chan deemed her as a mocha cake – bitterness sweetened, covered in sugar frosting that would invite anyone to indulge and get lost in. However, the icing was insignificant compared to the deliciously unusual tartly sweetness of what lied beneath the sugar frosting. Neither perfectly sweet nor perfectly bitter — just a flavor distinctly owned by this cake.

At this moment, the two were starting to see an unholy angel and a mocha cake smiling at them conspiratorially.

"My instincts tell me that the birthday gift was conceptualized without considering the preference of the recipient," said the moon guardian somewhat dryly.

"I'm not sure with what he meant," quipped Keroberos, "but I have a feeling that the brat won't like it." The animal chuckled gleefully. "I like it already, whatever it is, Tomoyo-chan!"

Encouraged by their apparent interest, she finally told them the ultimate ingredient needed by the recipe of her Plan.

"It is not going to work," Yue replied as she finished explaining the details of the operation. "You are better off hoping for the North Star to change its address than getting the Clow reincarnation to help you."

In contrast, Keroberos was speechlessly eloquent with laughter.

"Quit being pessimistic," said Tomoyo smilingly. "Hiiragizawa-kun is an approachable person… depending on the approach."

Kero snickered some more.

"I had been with him for centuries, and he would never be coaxed into doing something as frivolous as that. Master Clow Reed could act… a little… _silly_ at times," admitted the lunar guardian grudgingly, "but he would not tolerate being an object of your lens for three straight hours just so he can annoy the Clow descendant."

"Why not?" she wanted to know.

"I am not in the position to elaborate," he replied simply.

She turned to Kero-chan for help, but the animal merely grinned sheepishly. "Yue's right, Tomoyo. And it's not because he respects the dignity of the brat."

A nod from her. That was a common knowledge among them.

"He would prefer to conceive the idea on his own, and then concoct an elaborate situation wherein you have to cooperate with him."

"Ego-tripping men," she sighed, shrugging.

Resigned affirmative nods from the guardians. Yue was quick to come to his former master's defense though. "He is the reincarnation of the most powerful wizard in the world, and yet his power is a notch below the Clow Mistress'. It is but understandable that he yearns to exert his old influence among his peers. Just like--" He stopped in mid-sentence.

Her lilac eyes twinkled. "Just like me." She held her hand up when he tried to speak. "Anyway, let me at least _try_, okay?"

Kero-chan looked thoughtful. "Seeing the brat squirm sounds fun…"

Despite his reservation, protectiveness still enveloped Yue's staid voice. "You and Master Clow Reed are not exactly intimate friends."

"More like casual acquaintances," she agreed. Their relationship was more of 'a friend of a friend', blossoming from the fact that they both care for the same person. But she, Daidouji Tomoyo, knew a challenge when she heard one.

She gave both guardians a promising smile. "You'll be my first audience once I finish the raw footage."

…………………………………

to be continued


	2. Chapter 2

_Get fresh batteries for my videocamera… check. They're the lithium batteries with cute stuffed bunnies as image mascots… check. _Tomoyo crossed off the two sentences at the bottom of the list, leaving only one more thing for her to do before she could tear off the sheet of paper from her spiral spring notebook and stamp "Mission Accomplished. The Document Shall Self-destruct in Ten Seconds So As to Avoid This Reaching the Wrong Hands, Sakura-specific" all over it.

Her mauve eyes centered on the last to-do task in hand.

_Convince EH to help; shall not take 'no' from him._

She smiled bleakly. Everything was set, and all she needed was the key element of her Plan—Eriol Hiiragizawa. The most important component of her masterpiece was also the trickiest wildcard.

Weighing matters in her mind, she had already imagined the scenario.

Her begging him to help. Him humming as he contemplated on whether he should waste his precious time of idleness to help create three hours of pure agony for his favorite descendant. And then him deciding that it wasn't a very nice thing to do for a lady like her so he would have to be obliged to call Li Syaoran up and inform the Chinese of her wicked intentions.

Alas, diplomacy wouldn't work in this given situation. The only way she could convince him to play his role was to take him by surprise. Which was why she was suddenly divinely inspired to pack her things up that very afternoon and just enlighten the Londoner of what they would do when she was already settled inside his mansion and it would be too late for him to give his classic Hiiragizawa wisecracks.

Yue watched her silently as she moved about the room busily. Sighing, he said, "This just better not hurt young master Clow Reed." He and Kero-chan had visited her in her bedroom that afternoon for their routine check-up on her. They found a busy woman in the room though, as she was busy doing a final check on the things she would bring with her on her unexpected visit to the Londoner's house.

Tomoyo managed to give the moon guardian a brief smile before she looked down again and placed her reserve stacks of blank videotapes in her bag. "Hiiragizawa-kun is not a defenseless little squirrel, Yue. And unlike his descendant, he's the type of person you can catch on camera doing his nails and still make you feel the one embarrassed."

Yue crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Speaking from experience?"

She zipped her bag close. "Yup," she said simply, the finality of her voice stating that she had no intention to impart what kind of experience was that.

Kero-chan emerged from the silky black curtain of her hair, frowning thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, Tomoyo?"

She feigned a look of annoyance on her face. "I'm nineteen years old, a capable adult, and I can find my way to Hiiragizawa-kun's house."

"But still…" Keroberos buried itself on her neck. "What will I do while you're not around, Tomoyo-chaaaan?"

"Try keeping quiet," suggested Yue. "You will find yourself busy doing what you hate most."

"I'm not even asking you, Yue," said Kero, rolling its eyes. "Besides, you have no idea how much I miss Sakura. After she had grown up, I felt like I lost not only my best friend, but also a part of me. You, on the other hand, have an alter-ego that still has a best friend. So don't--"

"Hey, hey!" Tomoyo raised both her hands to make the two break off their argument. "Kero-chan, you can go over those videos I recorded that contain footages of me, you, and Sakura-chan. I'm sure that can occupy your time until I get back here."

"I don't think so," said Keroberos sadly.

"Hmm, how about watching videos while eating those choco chip cookies I just made?" proposed the purple-eyed Tomoyo.

"Choco…chip…COOKIES?" The animal's eyes lit up. "Well, I guess I could handle some hours of lonesomeness."

The lunar guardian still looked skeptical. "From what I recall about Master Clow Reed, he wouldn't like that blackmail type of eleventh hour rush."

"He's not Clow Reed, Yue," she pointed out gently. "Dead people can't come back as their exact selves, and believe me, Hiiragizawa-kun is a world of difference apart from him."

"How do you know?" asked the winged man. "The way you refer to… the Clow reincarnation, you seem to know something more about him than you let on."

She merely smiled mysteriously before waving goodbye to her two friends.

…………………………………………………..

"_Ohayou, Hiiragizawa-kun."_

_The Londoner who was standing outside the mansion he used to rent years ago pivoted to face her. And as always, an affable smile was affixed on his handsome face._

"_Daidouji-san," he nodded with a smile that didn't reach his sapphire eyes. "It's been… what, three years?"_

"_Three and a half," she said quietly. "I heard from my mother's secretary that someone is renting the house again. I had a feeling that it would be you."_

"_So… this is another property that your family has acquired." Eriol scanned the manicured green lawns and well-maintained yards. "I didn't know this estate belonged to you."_

"_I asked my mother to buy it after you left." She looked at the mansion, and then back at him. "Sakura-chan thinks this house is too precious and filled with memories, and she hates the thought of handing this place over to other people who might desecrate your grounds."_

_He chuckled softly. "I detect sarcasm."_

_She chose to ignore him. "Akizuki-san and Spinel-chan are not with you?" _

"_I asked them to buy instant ramen. No one's heroic enough to delay bed rest and cook something that actually has a taste," he replied as he bent down to reach for the gate's lock. "Won't you come in for a while?"_

"_No, thank you," she said primly. "I only came to see for myself if it's really you."  
He straightened. "Oh? And when had I suddenly become part of Miss Tomoyo's list of concerns?"_

"_Sakura-chan is quite fond of you, Hiiragizawa-kun." A nonchalant shrug from her. "She'll be happy to know that you came back." A pause, and then she asked, "Would your stay be for good?"_

_He smiled enigmatically. "Let's talk about it inside the house."_

…………………………………………………………………

"_I have just arrived from the airport and haven't bought anything edible yet, but I think that place must have water." He grinned at her as they entered the living room. "Would you like your water cold, ice-cold, tap, or heated?"_

"_No, thank you," she refused politely. "I'm on my way to my classes, and I only dropped by—"_

"_You have classes on a Sunday?"_

_She nodded. "I teach some kids about music during weekend mornings."_

"_Ah." His blue eyes softened. "That's a productive use of God-given talents."_

_For the first time in the whole conversation, she felt herself relax. "Thank you," she said, a sincere smile blossoming on her face._

_He noticed it, but decided against commenting about it. Instead, he pleasantly opened another topic. "I heard you opened an online boutique."_

"_It's my thesis for my course," she explained. "I'm graduating next year, so I'm not sure if I'll still keep the store running after I finish my studies. It's not like it's making that much business."_

"_Great things have to start small somewhere," he encouraged her. "Sakura-chan shouldn't be the only person to have the privilege of wearing your fashion concepts."_

"_I guess," she replied, "but not a lot of people are brave enough to wear unusual clothing."_

"_People just dislike being set apart from the crowd," he remarked lightly. "They think that being different means being wrong."_

_And when she looked at him to give her own reply, she suddenly noticed that he meant more than what he said._

………………………………………………….

Tomoyo stopped in front of the black gates, near the spot where she first saw Eriol Hiiragizawa after he came back from England four years ago.

As she pushed one of the gates open, she couldn't help but feel nervousness course through her system. It had been quite some time since she last visited this place and yet, everything looked exactly as it had back then. Sure, some of the shrubs had grown larger already, others even standing as sturdier trees now, but mostly, everything was unchanged.

"Daidouji-san." The familiar male voice greeted her from behind. She turned to see Eriol hunched over the ground, hands protected by gloves. Gardening tools surrounded him, with a tray of seedlings not too far away from him.

"Whose body are you burying?" she asked, walking towards him.

"My latest victim," he said simply.

"Roses?" she read one of the labels of the seedlings.

"England's renowned emblem," he added as he carefully covered the seeds with a calculated layer of organic fertilizer. "I want to grow more, seeing as how enterprising lazy young lads had started to give daily bouquets to their sweethearts courtesy of my flowers."

"Go get a restraining order from the court," she suggested. "Or hire snipers that will guard your garden 24/7."

"I prefer the flowers to be stolen and given to a person the thief loves than have them wilt away inside a lonely prison," he replied smilingly. "I guess that's the idea why I planted more of these."

"You're one very bored man, aren't you, Hiiragizawa-kun?" she asked, shaking her head.

"On the contrary," he countered. He got up and dusted off his clothes. "It's you who got quite jaded with your fast-paced life and had decided to go see an old hermit instead."

"It's not just about boredom, Hiiragizawa-kun." As they both entered the house, she started to fill him in with the details of her birthday gift for his descendant.

"It's still about boredom, Daidouji-san," he chuckled when she finished explaining. "Or else you wouldn't even think of picking up an old video camera from your childhood days and coming here, demanding to be accommodated."

"Call it whatever you want, but I want my footage," she stated firmly.

"I don't suppose I have other choices?"

"Not on this instance, Hiiragizawa-kun."

This got the Londoner shaking his head, tsk-ing. "My cute little descendant must have done something horrendous to you for you to be this determined."

Uncertainty flickered in her lilac eyes before she clawed her composure back. "Do you still want to change your clothes, or should I shoot the video already?"

He gazed at her for a few moments, and then broke into another quiet laughter. "Shoot away, Daidouji-san."

……………………………..

to be continued


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Longer chapter. Thanks to rai17 for the heartwarming review. This chapter is dedicated with much gratefulness to you.

………………………….

"So what do I have to do?" asked Eriol as Tomoyo began to load a fresh tape inside her recorder. "Should I display my ballerina skills? Maybe I should sing my ABCs backwards. Or how about a penguin courtship dance?"

"Adorable," she said simply. "But simplicity is the best way to go. Just be yourself, and I'll have a video fit to seed more terror in Li-san's mind than the one he experienced when he watched Sadako creep out of her well."

"You seem to think so highly of me," he remarked, his mouth twitching in amusement. "You're the only person I know who would talk to me this way. I like that.

She briefly glanced at him over her shoulder. "I respect you in various little ways. One of them is my deference to your innate ability to terrorize souls like that of your descendant's. But I also respect you for guiding Sakura-chan the way a father would. I guess, you're also the only person I know whom I would feel this way for. Ambivalently."

"Ah," he uttered, his eyes softening.

Gracefully, she straightened and aimed her lenses at him. "Ohayo, Hiiragizawa-kun! You're now filling up magnetic tapes, so don't waste my gadget's resources."

He nodded, chuckling. "My cute little descendant would be watching this, yes?"

"He should be when he receives this," she said from behind the camera. "So anyway, Hiiragizawa-kun, what's your birthday message for Li-san?"

"Swiss?"

"Message, Hiiragizawa-kun, _message_, not _massage_."

"Oh, must be my ears." The smile on his face belied that though. "Don't count your eggs before they hatch. Sakura-chan doesn't."

"That's foul." Tomoyo meant, she relished green jokes about Syaoran as much as the next person, as long as it didn't involve her beloved best friend.

"Erase that," he said cheerfully. "How about, don't do unto others what you don't want them to do to you, especially in the middle of the night?" He received a blank look from her. "Oh, too cryptic. OK, how about, say no to drugs? You don't like that? How about, save the dolphins?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "Hai, hai, moving on…"

…………………………….

Keroberos watched in infuriation as Yue burned the tiles of Tomoyo's bedroom with his endless back-and-forth pacing.

"You sure know how to ruin a sun guardian's appetite, don't you?" Kero gestured to the chocolate cookies it wasn't able to touch for the last fifteen minutes.

"If you call three batches of cookies a ruined appetite, it's not my problem anymore," retorted the lunar sentinel, and then resumed his soldier march.

"I average five, Yue. But that's not the point." It decided to get up and talk business with its counterpart. "Tomoyo-chan said she'll be fine. She also said that she won't do anything intolerable towards our former master. So why are you still acting like a laboring hen?"

"I'm…" At last, the winged man ceased his motion and faced Kero. "Worried."

"So what else is new?"

"About Mistress Daidouji."

The yellow animal blinked. "Eh?" It wasn't everyday news that Yue admits anxiety over anything, least of all Daidouji Tomoyo.

In the early days of their fulfillment of their obligatory guardianship of the girl, the lunar protector was not very enthusiastic about his duty—a direct contrast of the yellow guardian that was overjoyed to care for a girl after its own heart.

Nah, it wasn't as if Yue was ever enthusiastic about _anything_, but he was quite vocal of his dismay at his latest job.

After all, he used to judge the worthiness of a card captor. He was also the former secondary master of the cards that were under his sign. Now he was reduced to a job of looking after a rich brat with a camera trigger-happy trait.

But as time passed and they both got to know Tomoyo more, they realized the folly of both the Clow master and the Card Mistress: Daidouji Tomoyo did NOT need a babysitter; she needed a friend.

A friend whose attention span lasted longer than four o'clock PM because she has 'a date with Syaoran-kun at six and needs to freshen up'.

"Why? It's not like Master Clow Reed would do something not nice to her," said Keroberos, treading with words carefully. The sun protector wasn't sure whether Yue's loyalty still lies with its former master or its current mistress.

"He isn't Master Clow Reed. And that's what I'm worried about." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, pondering on the situation at hand. "That person… that person has Master Clow Reed's memories, and yet… he doesn't live what he remembers. He has his own way of breathing his existence."

"Um… so?" Kero, still confused.

"He might do something ludicrous… something Master Clow Reed has already gone beyond." Yue.

"Ludi… is that bad?"

"No. Just worse."

"_Matte, matte_!" Kero's wings fluttered frantically. "You seem to know something I don't."

"After hundreds of years, you only admitted that now."

"NO! I mean, about Tomoyo-chaaaan!" The yellow creature scratched its chin. "The way you speak… it's like Tomoyo-chan made a very bad move in going to that guy's house."

His eyes focused outside the window, unspeaking despite Kero's shrill, insistent cry demanding to let it in his secret knowledge too.

………………………………….

_That afternoon, Yue had surfaced in Tsukishiro Yukito's body again. Kinomoto Touya warily reprimanded him for wearing out Yukito too much, but they both knew that his purpose was too important._

_Months ago, Daidouji Tomoyo was slowly isolating herself. That was strange, considering that she used to be one of the most cheerful and kindest person in the town. Sure, she became more of a homebody ever since she realized that tagging along in her best friend's dates and being a third wheel wasn't worth the Sakura footages and causing Li's discomfort. That was understandable._

_But in burying herself for days straight inside her house and immersing herself in making Sakura costumes that her best friend would never really wear, the people around her started to worry. She may not speak much about it, but all those who knew her saw that she was affected by the relationship that was depriving her slowly but surely of a childhood best friend._

_So Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran had decided to confide to Hiiragizawa Eriol, who then just arrived from London to live in Tomoeda for good._

_Sakura and Eriol then decided to send Kero and Yue as Tomoyo's own guardians. Li, on the other hand, didn't like the idea. He somehow sensed that this was not the answer to her real problem. But seeing that there was no other solution, he finally agreed, upon the condition that they would think of other ways to solve this._

_This was forgotten in the course of weeks and months, when even Syaoran had to accept that it was working: Tomoyo was starting to become more cheerful and less possessive of her best friend and second cousin._

_So Yue had now started to accept his fate. In fact, he was starting to look forward to seeing his ward, who would entertain him and Keroberos with her stories, nuggets of wisdom, and generally, poking fun at the people who would otherwise never think of her as capable of humor._

_Talking with her was different from talking with Sakura, who, though may have little moments of a grown-up attitude, was generally a naïve child—the kind of person who believed in princesses getting rescued from towers by a prince and living happily ever after with him._

_Daidouji Tomoyo, on the other hand, believed in romance like every little girl does. But her ideals and dreams were reined back by her pragmatic attitude she learned from her early experiences of rejection and yielding. She was the type of person who believed that not all princesses locked up in towers were miserable: some of them deemed that as their prerogative, and had learned to love the tower and the things that surrounded it. Just like her._

_And in the end, though he clandestinely loved both girls as much as he loved Clow Reed, he surmised that intellectually-wise, Tomoyo was as mature as the sorcerer. However, she had yet to acquire Sakura's innate wisdom with emotions—that though Tomoyo was perceptive and the cherry blossom was… not, the latter handled her feelings better than the former._

_Yue was just outside Tomoyo's bedroom door when he heard footsteps inside. Activating his powers, he tried to sense the kind of aura inside the room._

_Realizing it belonged to someone familiar, he let out a sigh of relief and entered the room._

_Li Syaoran was too engrossed with what he was reading to notice his presence. A peek at the notebook's cover told him that it was the mistress' journal. That made him frown in concern._

"_You should not be touching private documents like the mistress' memoirs."_

_Syaoran turned to him, alarmed. When recognition dawned on the little wolf, he closed the diary, bookmarking his current page with his finger. He then turned to face him._

"_Not when her emotional security is concerned," Li replied calmly. "Now if you may excuse me—"_

"_You are not taking the mistress' property with you," he said firmly._

"_On the authority of my ancestors' great name, I order you to stay out of this."_

"_It is the Card Mistress and the Clow Master's reincarnation that gives me orders, and I shall not acknowledge any other authority other than the one that emanates from them," he replied with the same decisiveness._

_Li looked at him intently, assessing his steadfastness. In the end, he let out an audible sigh of resignation and collapsed on the bed. "You do not understand anything, Yue."_

"_As far as I am aware of, my intellectual capacity is far from feeble, Clow descendant," he snapped coolly._

"_She can't do this… not with him…"_

"_Pardon?" Li's strange words stirred confusion within him, as well as an urgent need to know whatever trouble was brewing in his ward's life._

"_I saw something… and I came here to verify my assumptions." His fists clenched. "I could kill that bastard for allowing her to do this. She's so vulnerable… and he took advantage of it, that son of a--"_

"_Elaborate."_

"_Daidouji has just fallen in love..." Syaoran's eyes hardened dangerously. "With Hiiragizawa Eriol, no less. They had been in a relationship for two weeks."_

……………………………………………………..

"… and this is the bathroom cap I wear when I take a bath." Eriol pointed to the neon green material lying neatly on the sides of the pale green bathtub. "It doubles as Suppi's boat when Nakuru takes a bath with me."

"The three of you take a bath together?" she exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"There's always a room for four," said Eriol slyly to the camera, as if talking to an imaginary Syaoran who would be watching the video.

She laughed from behind the lenses, but it abruptly stopped when he started to undress. Losing focus for some seconds, her head appeared from behind the camera. "H-Hiirgizawa-kun? W-What on earth are you doing?"

"Disrobing." He discarded his robe and started to unbuckle his belt.

"T-This is not a porno flick!"

"I know. If you informed me that the video would be sold online and I'll get plenty of sums for royalty, I may just decide to do that." He got out of his trousers slowly, as if giving her time to turn her back on him and scream.

But she didn't; she was too damn fascinated at how this scene seemed so familiar… as if it happened just yesterday.

"There is something I remember… the times I took a bath not alone. Someone who rubbed shampoo on my hair and soaped the part of my back that I couldn't reach. I want to try and live that moment again."

"If you're hallucinating that I am Mizuki-sensei then you ought to have your eyes checked for better eyeglasses prescription."

He smiled sadly, a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

He stepped cleanly out of his pants, revealing no minuscule fabric covering his manly flesh. She should have known that he was the kind of person to shun undergarments just for his amusement.

There was no modesty and haste in his movement toward and into the bathtub. And to her consternation, even her highest moral was not disturbed by what he just did.

In fact, everything seemed so natural to her, as if she was not watching a live person but a Greek god depicted in moving poetry. Malice and lust were absent on his face; just serenity and pleasure in feeling the contact of water with his nakedness.

"Daidouji-san?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you believe in eternity?"

"I… I can't really say." She placed her camera on the sink and sat on the cover of the bathroom seat, unable to tear her eyes off him. "But… under normal circumstances, nothing lasts forever. Diamonds may last a long, long time, but they defy perpetual ownership. Just as love, which claims to be endless, cannot go beyond a lifetime."

"I am a reincarnation of Clow Reed, and if this present existence ceases to be, I can come back again in another time. Wouldn't that be proof of eternity?"

She frowned thoughtfully. "True. You have that person's memories, but you can't live an exact life as his. For one, your environment is very different from his. And two, in the process of living your own life, you add more memories to those that are saved in your consciousness.

"Maybe eternity without change is the only impossible scenario I can think of," she concluded. "Why did you suddenly ask that?"

He smiled feebly. "I just remembered a conversation with another friend about that."

"You have friends?"

"My social circle is not limited to my imagination, Daidouji-san," he replied good-naturedly as he stretched his arm towards his back. "Oh my, I can't reach that part again!"

Her eyebrow arched.

"Daidouji-san, would you be a sweetheart and help me soap that part?"

…………………….

"She went WHERE!"

Kero-chan held the receiver away from its ears as Li Syaoran exploded with every crisp profanity known to mankind, literate or not.

"You committed a grave mistake by making that phone call," said Yue, shaking his head.

"It's your fault! You won't tell me ANYTHING about Tomoyo-chan so I had to call Sakura-chan, but it was the BRAT who ANSWERED MY CALL AND NOW HE'S ALL FREAKED OUT!"

"Are you finished?" he asked calmly when Kero slammed the receiver down heatedly.

"Won't you still tell me anything?"

"…"

"Go talk to your daddy!" Steaming, the yellow animal plopped down by the window and muttered beneath its breath.

……………………………………

to be continued


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: After 5 years, the story is finally updated. This is for my real life sis, Kaye, and my imouto, Aya-chan._

**Chapter 4**

She was only supposed to be there to get her birthday gift footage.

Yet here she was, Daidouji Tomoyo, the young princess of the powerful Daidouji business empire, scooping soapy water on Eriol Hiiragizawa's pale, broad, shoulders in shamefully docile obedience. The sleeves of her flowing lavender-and-white blouse had already gotten wet, yet her mauve eyes were trained solely on the blue-haired naked enigma before her.

Eriol, on the other hand, was also unusually quiet. His back was turned on her, but she could sometimes hear his satisfied murmurs, especially when her fingers would touch certain spots on his back that seem to be tender and in dire need of massage.

For a while, they remained this way, immersed in their own thoughts, their motions ruled by unwitting automation. Yet the moment wouldn't last; the video camera clicked, signaling the end of her first tape's reel.

This snapped her out of trance. "I better get that," she said, preparing to get up from the edge of the tub where she sat.

"Stay, please."

"Hiiragizawa-kun! I-I've already soaped the entire expanse of your spinal column, and I refuse to go any…um, _lower_."

"You will not, I assure you, Daidouji-san—unless you ask me very, very nicely."

"You're… you're insufferable!" she cried.

His hand reached out to hers, stopping her every motion save the colors that rushed to her cheeks. "H-Hiiragizawa-kun?"

He refused to turn her way, but his hand refused to let go of her either. "Just a few more moments of this, please. That is all I ask," he pleaded softly.

She didn't reply. Yet for the life of her, she found herself shifting her seat on the edge of the tub, looking for a more comfortable position—she found it by cushioning herself against the tiled bathroom wall and leaning in a bit further into the tub. Now it was the hem of her dress that was starting to get wet. Yet she didn't mind at all.

Because what was happening now played like an old familiar tune from her childhood. Like a song with words she could not accurately remember but with beats and silences she could hum in confidence, the scene seemed to have happen before, with its details seemingly out of her mind's reach, but her heart seemingly able to recall things well enough to bring up these feelings of warm familiarity and nostalgia.

She let out a soft gasp when she felt him move closer to her. He leaned back on her, his head settled restfully on top of the valley of her chest. She was aware that he was now privy to the maddening pace of her heartbeat.

"Headstrong. " His words were fused with amusement and awe. "My Daidouji-san, she never ceases to amaze me every time."

"E-Eh?" She gazed down at him. His eyes were still shut, his muscles relaxed. Yet he didn't appear to be murmuring in his dreams. Eriol Hiiragizawa was fully awake and aware of circumstances, while she felt she had just made her first step into this incomprehensible dreamscape.

"My apologies," he finally opened his eyes. "I drifted off…"

He was lying to her. Patently.

Sensing her sentiments, he looked up at her, the affable mask back on his face. "Thank you for accommodating this eccentric hermit's request, Daidouji-san. I wish we can do this more often, but I'm a little concerned about the risks of pneumonia in doing so."

She did not reply; her mind was furiously grasping at flimsy threads of blurry memories. His gaze lingered at her for a second more, ostensibly remorseful. He then inched away wordlessly.

She watched him reach for the towel nearby, but all the while she couldn't ease off her mind what he just told her, somewhat unwittingly. _Headstrong… My Daidouji-san…_

Her attention was then caught by something tucked carefully between the sponges and pumice stones.

"Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"Yes, Daidouji-san?" he asked pleasantly as he put on his robe.

"By any chance, have we taken a bath together before?"

….

"_Daidouji has fallen in love with him. She and Hiiragizawa have been in a relationship for two weeks."_

Li Syaoran's words echoed in Yue's mind as he joined his sun counterpart in looking out at the window. The sun guardian was still sulking.

"Ne, Yue?" The miniature version of Cerberus looked up at him gloomily. "Aren't you really going to tell me anything?"

His response might have been evident, because despite his silence, the yellow creature groaned. "Why do you guys always underestimate my ability to _get _things? I know Master Clow Reed didn't make me as big a know-it-all as you, Yue, but I **love** Tomoyo! I _want_ to at least try and understand what's going on with her!"

"I am not in the position to tell you anything, Cerberus," explained the lunar guardian wearily.

"So what position will let you _explain_ stuff to me?" cried the animal. "Sitting? Lying? Prone? _On your knees on all fours?_"

A vein popped in Yue's head. "Are these what your silly videogames have been filling your vacuous mind, Cerberus?"

"Vacu… I don't know what that means, but I think it's nasty," glared Kero-chan. "Can I call Sakura again now, please?"

But Yue's attention was not on the stuffed animal anymore. In his mind he imagined the reincarnated mage. Quietly, he searched for any sign of the master he loved dearly—and found none comfortingly enough.

Admittedly, despite his human shell's deep affections for the card mistress' big brother, his form as Yue was still bound to his creator. Gratitude, admiration, respect, possessiveness, love—he knew he could never muster the same depth of feelings for the two girls he served as the ones he reserved for Clow Reed alone.

Yet Hiiragizawa Eriol was not and could never be his beloved master again. The lunar guardian understood that very well.

So why was he looking for a sign of his previous master in its present-time form?

"Sakura! I'm glad you answered the phone this time!" cried Kero-chan happily. "The brat exploded on me a while ago—no, I was not being mean to him!" The stuffed animal scowled. "It's _always_ the other way around but you never believed me! I'm telling ya, your tendency to play favoritism is getting more and more obvious! But let's talk about this unfair treatment of yours some other time. I've got something more important to tell you. It's about Tomoyo-"

_Tomoyo. _His hand found its way to his chest, which he realized was now an eddy of feelings.

He was jealous. Learning about Clow Reed's reincarnation having relationships with other people certainly unnerved him, for despite the limits and technicalities that the natural laws of life impose on their supernatural existence, Eriol Hiiragizawa will always painfully remind him of his deceased master whom he would forever hold dear. He was not yet ready to fully embrace the thought of his precious memory finding someone else to care for.

And all the while, he was deeply worried, too. While he may not be as vocal as Cerberus, he also held the same desire to safeguard his mistress Daidouji Tomoyo's happiness. If what the Little Wolf told him was right, then Yue was sure that his unholy angel will end up getting hurt. Badly.

_If only he was Clow Reed…_The silver-haired man clenched his fists. _Things would be more predictable. I would sense what he has in mind for her._

"Oi, Yue," said Kero as it placed the receiver down. "I know you're just as worried as I am—and don't try to deny it!" snapped the stuffed animal as the lunar counterpart was about to protest. "Sakura gave us a task."

"A task?" That was a novelty for Yue, who always received a preferential treatment from the card mistress.

Kero-chan's eyes narrowed, thinking the same thing. "Yes. And I know I'm better off waiting for my favorite Mario game to appear on Xbox than get her to order _you_ around, so let me take her place and tell you to start moving… on the double!"

The yellow guardian received a withering look from him.

"Please? With cherries on top?" grinned Kero-chan, making Yue's face darken more.

….

"Interesting," was the Londoner's plain response after a moment of tense silence.

"I like to think interesting questions have interesting answers, too, Hiiragizawa-kun," she replied wanly, not getting up from her seat yet.

"Ah no, this happens to be an exception, Daidouji-san. It's dreadfully mundane, really." His hand made little quick dismissive gestures to emphasize this.

"Then allow me to rephrase. What is my purple monogrammed robe doing there?" She pointed to the bathroom counter nearby.

"Your… what?" Eriol's gaze returned to her, startled. When he saw what she was pointing at, he groaned inwardly. "Sweet heavens!" His palm reached for his forehead and proceeded to massage it swiftly, as if he had suddenly gotten a migraine.

"I see what you mean," she replied, shaking her head. "Mundane, eh?"

"The Little Wolf will not be very pleased," he sighed, switching to rubbing the other side of his temples.

"Li-kun?" She looked at him inquisitively. "What does _he_ have to do with this?"

He looked at her helplessly, and then cupped his chin. "How to go about this… I wonder…"

The delicate frown on her forehead made him chuckle nervously. "Ah well, Daidouji-san, you see… I made a very important, er, _promise_ to my cute little descendant. To be truthful, this little explanation is already dangerously treading on breaking our contract."

"A contract?"

"Yes, and I cannot disclose the terms."

"But why?"

"I cannot tell either."

She tipped her chin with her finger and paused. "But… I can try and find out, right? If I discover what it's all about, then it's not breaking any rules of your contract, correct?"

The Londoner's mouth twitched. "I suppose."

She pressed her hands together in satisfaction. "That'll be perfect!" She picked up her handicam, which was still resting on the toilet seat cover. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"

He looked at her cautiously. "Yes, Daidouji-san?"

"How do you feel about outdoor photo shoots?"

"I'm an extremely private person, thus I'm not inclined to show off in front of strangers," he said primly.

"I hate to disappoint you, but this does not involve Sakura costumes. At all."

"You really know how to break a man's heart, Daidouji-san."

…

"Tomoyo-chan!" Kinomoto Sakura's expression looked torn between delight and anxiety when she entered the ice cream parlor and saw her best friend and her Sakura cards mentor sharing a booth at the corner of the room.

Her second cousin waved at her, yet her other hand refused to let go of the camera. "Sakura-chan!"

The brown-haired girl dashed towards them, pigtails bouncing at either sides of her head. "Syaoran-kun is on his way to your mansion, Eriol-kun!" Her wide emerald eyes flicked back and forth between Tomoyo and Eriol. "He looks… well, a little mad."

"Oh, does he?" The Londoner glanced at Tomoyo, who slid gracefully to the right so Sakura would have a place to sit. "Then it's a good thing that Daidouji-san left him something to occupy his time."

"Hoe?" The cherry blossom looked stumped.

"I left a video running on Hiiragizawa-kun's television, which should produce a good calming effect on him," Tomoyo explained simply. "But Sakura-chan, we don't have much time left. Did you bring those things I asked you over the phone earlier?"

"Sure did." Sakura's hand disappeared into the pockets of her sweater for a moment, then returned, clutching a pair of Sakura cards. "Here's Return and Time."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo smilingly as she received the cards from the card mistress.

Sakura's emerald eyes focused on Eriol next. "Eriol-kun, are you sure you have enough—"

"_Thank you_, Sakuran-san," interrupted Eriol smilingly. "I will take good care of your cards." He turned to his raven-haired companion. "Daidouji-san?"

"Huh?" Tomoyo's head popped out from behind the camera, where she was happily snapping shots of Sakura away. "O-Oh yes! Sorry, I was hoping to add a few more to my collection before we go."

The cherry blossom sweatdropped. "T-Tomoyo-chan…"

"Okay, these look good." Tomoyo flashed her best friend a very pleased smile. "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan!"

"Anou… I promised earlier, I would not ask questions anymore," said Sakura slowly. "But do be careful, Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun."

"Usually, I can practice better precaution when I at least have an idea about the circumstances," said Eriol smilingly. "But Daidouji-san does not see it fit for poor Hiiragizawa-kun to possess even a glimmer of understanding of the situation."

"There is bliss in ignorance," replied Tomoyo. She then turned to the still baffled cherry blossom and clasped her hands. "We will be careful. I will protect Hiiragizawa-kun."

Eriol's playful smile disappeared.

"I will count on you, Tomoyo-chan!" said Sakura brightly, squeezing her hands back.

….

"It's really nice of you to create the Clow Cards," said Tomoyo as she and Eriol made their way to the Tsukimine Shrine. "These are really convenient, you know. I would love to go back to those days that I didn't get to completely videotape Sakura-chan's wonderful costumes!" Her lavender eyes turned sparkly. "A completed Sakura Costumes video collection, oh my!" When she heard no response, she threw her companion a sideway glance. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"Hmn?" The Londoner looked at her, a distracted expression on his face. "Yes, Daidouji-san?"

"You've been really quiet since we left the parlor." Lavender orbs searched his face curiously. "Is something wrong?"

He gave her an affable smile. "None at all. What were you talking about earlier? The Return Card, is it?"

Before she could reply, he launched on to his explanation. "The Return card allows one to return to the past and witness its events, but as a spectral observer. As such, it is a very powerful card that can drain most of the card wielder's energy."

"Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"I don't usually need to rely on other sources of power to make use of Return's magic, but after Sakura has changed this to a Sakura card, I cannot directly use it anymore—the best I can do is to emulate its magic with what powers I still have, then boost it with Tsukimine Shrine's own spiritual force. " He shook his head, sighing. "How troublesome."

She did not look utterly convinced, Eriol decided as he took in her delicate change of facial expression. But bless her soul, sensitive Daidouji Tomoyo graciously opted to let the matter go. Instead, she asked, "Will you be alright with casting spells again? Sakura-chan looked pretty worried about you earlier."

_Can nothing escape Daidouji-san's perception? _But he gave her a reassuring smile. "I've done some spells recently, and I turned out quite alright."

"Spells?"

"Here we are." Eriol's tone turned wistful. "Tsukimine shrine."

_Mizuki-sensei's home._ Tomoyo couldn't understand the sudden dull ache that rose within her, but she dismissed it quickly. She pasted a cheerful smile on her face and turned to the Londoner. "Well, Hiiragizawa-kun, let's do this!"

Eriol sighed as he held out his palm, revealing a small key that was nearly identical to Sakura's. "Why Daidouji-san always makes me do things I'd rather not do, I can never wish enough to comprehend."

Before she could reply, the ground they stood on began to glow. Eriol shut his eyes briefly. "Key which hides the power of darkness, reveal your true form to me." They key floated as gusts of wind began to envelop them both.

"I, Eriol, command thee through our contract." As the key grew fully into a staff, Eriol's eyes opened. "Release!"

Tomoyo's eyes widened as the cherry blossom tree in the shrine opened a black gaping hole within it. "Is this…" She turned to Eriol for confirmation, who nodded in affirmation.

"I will stay here, Daidouji-san, to keep the portal open," he explained. His gaze met hers, and his gray eyes softened. "I hope you find the answers you seek."

"I will be back." She nodded reassuringly at him, and then determinedly stepped into the time void created.

**- To Be Continued -**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for the kind words and reviews! No, this did not take me 5 years to update, lol.

This chapter might get confusing, so bear with the italics, please. It's the only way I could afford to aid you in distinguishing between who own which lines in this chapter. :)

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

"Oh!" Tomoyo nearly lost her balance when she stepped out on the other end of the void, but quickly regained it in time to hear Eriol's distinctly concerned voice.

_Are you okay, Daidouji-san?_

"I-I'm fine." She pivoted to search for the source of the voice. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"

_You won't find me here,_ explained Eriol's voice. _At least not the present me. I am still in our present time, but possessing the knowledge of the Clow Card creator, I was able to find a way to still be with you, at least in spirit._

"Like a hacker, right? Only in a more mystical way." She couldn't help but imagine him as Hiiragizawa Eriol, the Spiritual Dimension Backdoor Hacker.

She heard him chuckle. _You can say that, Daidouji-san._

"I-I see…" Her lavender eyes scanned the surroundings. She was still in the Tsukimine shrine, this much the familiar surroundings could tell her. Yet it looked almost unreal, with the place bathed in an anemic shade of lavender light.

_The reason you see the world that way is this state of time already happened,_ explained Eriol, who seemed to be able to read her thoughts in the dimension. _This is the past._

She tipped her chin with her fingers quizzically. "Like the sepia treatment movies get when they want to tell the readers that they're watching the flashback part of the story?"

Another chuckle from the sorcerer. _Certainly. But Daidouji-san, you can talk to me telepathically. Just think what you wanted to say, and do not move your lips. I will hear you._

She looked bemused, but she shut her eyes tight anyway. _Like this?_

_Perfect, _said the voice cheerfully.

_This feels a bit funny, but I could get used to this, _said Tomoyo._ A voice in my head, oh my!_

They both stopped when they heard footsteps nearby.

_S-Should I hide?_ asked Tomoyo nervously. _I mean, this all happened in the past, so most likely they won't see me—_

_But people with strong magical powers can sense you_, replied Eriol. _Let's not cause unnecessary commotion, Daidouji-san._

_Understood._ Tomoyo hurried to the nearest bush to hide, just as a person emerged from the flight of stairs nearby.

The beautiful auburn tresses that came down to her waist, the cat-like gait, and an air of serenity and wisdom that her dear Sakura-chan adored so much—it was unmistakably Mizuki Kaho, their enigmatic elementary school teacher who aided Li-kun and Sakura in the Final Judgment the Clow guardians.

She heard a sharp intake of breath from her spiritual companion. Ah yes, Mizuki-sensei also happened to be Hiiragizawa Eriol's first love.

_She's gorgeous, isn't she? _She asked her companion pointedly.

_To negate or to affirm? God help me but I don't really know which one's the safer option for me at this point, _he quipped, making Tomoyo's eyebrow arch involuntarily.

Tomoyo turned her eyes back to her teacher. The woman gracefully defied the typical conventions associated with aging: the wrinkles, bulges and awkward fashion taste. What she did see though was the forlorn sheen in her tired gray eyes. If she looked beyond her seemingly ageless shell, Tomoyo could see an old soul that fought numerous battles for so long that she was happy to embrace the welcome of the afterlife.

_Hiiragizawa-kun, Mizuki-sensei is…_ She felt a tug in her heart strings. _Mizuki-sensei seems to be… mourning._

In one of the rare times she remembered, Hiiragizawa Eriol did not give his usual cheery response.

Kaho placed her palm on the cherryblossom tree, basking in the comforting bursts of energy emanating from its old bark. She seemed to converse quietly with the tree, sharing an ancient wisdom understandable only between the tree and its caretaker.

Perhaps the tree succeeded in consoling her in her grief. For Kaho suddenly turned her gaze upward, to the limitless spread of surreal lavender and pale pink skies overhead. "Welcome back, dear one …" she whispered sadly, a lone tear streaking down her cheek. "… and goodbye."

_Dear one?_ Comprehension dawned on Tomoyo. _Hiiragizawa-kun! She meant—_

_She meant me, Daidouji-san,_ the voice affirmed gently.

_But what did she mean by that?_ asked the raven-haired female. _And the contradicting well-wishes…_

_My prophetic powers pale in comparison to her ability to look into the future… or perhaps it comes naturally to all women—what does popular culture call that blasted thing? A woman's instinct? In any case, she always speaks ages ahead of the present time._

Tomoyo was not sure if the male answered her question, but she imagined that it would have been more interesting if Mizuki-sensei taught History instead of Math.

Her train of thoughts came to a halt when she felt Kaho's eyes turn to her general direction. Then to her surprise, the woman spoke as if she knew she was not alone in the shrine.

"Go." A kind smile broke on her former teacher's face. "He is waiting."

Tomoyo's heart pounded. The woman's words did not just seem like an instruction; it also sounded like she was giving her a blessing. A blessing to do _what_?

_Daidouji-san?_

Tomoyo nodded. _Let's go._

…..

"Ohayou, Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Daidouji-san. It's been… what, three years?"

"Three and a half. I heard from my mother's secretary that someone is renting the house again. I had a feeling that it would be you."

Tomoyo stood transfixed as she watched herself converse coolly with the Londoner in front of the Hiiragizawa mansion. It seemed the Return Card sent her to the day that Hiiragizawa Eriol came back to Japan.

_Daidouji-san is so cold then, _remarked Eriol's voice, his tone back to its light-hearted manner once more.

She scrunched her nose delicately. _That's because I know Hiiragizawa-kun came back to join the Cheer-Up-Daidouji squad_.

The former mage laughed heartily. _Pardon me?_

She sighed. _That's the moniker I gave to the group of folks that Li-kun rounded up to try and cheer me up. _She adjusted her crouch position in the bushes to settle more comfortably. _Despite my assurance that Li-kun must not worry about me of all people, he is still impossibly concerned about me finding my own happiness at once... so he himself can go back to enjoying being happy with Sakura-chan as soon as possible._

_Ah, _said the blue-haired sorcerer, nodding.

She cupped her face. _I want to hate Li-kun's guilt, but I also realize that the same guilt is born out of his kindness. His kindness which, along with his affection for Sakura-chan, are the reasons I also supported him to be with my most favorite person in the world. When I realized this, I didn't know how to deal with it._

_Perhaps the Little Wolf felt that way, too_, explained Eriol. _As someone who helped him realize his happiness, he also wants you to be happy. But you sacrificed yours for him. That is his dilemma, and like you, he didn't know how to deal with it. That he sought my help when he would rather not proves how much he wants to make things alright._

She fell silent, and Eriol decided to leave her alone with her thoughts which he courteously did not read.

…..

Tomoyo found herself in the church where she regularly taught on weekends. Heavenly choruses of hallelujahs wafted in and around the compound, while a few people strolled leisurely in the meadows that comprise most of the perimeter.

"My group should be practicing now. Want to watch?" she asked aloud to no one in particular. She was confident that it was only Eriol who would hear her anyway.

_I'll be delighted," _came Eriol's reply.

The pews were nearly vacant when they arrived. The morning mass just finished, but a handful of people stayed behind to watch the choir practice, led by no other than the Daidouji heiress herself.

Daidouji Tomoyo, garbed in a simple russet-colored cardigan sweater and full skirt, earned admiring gazes both from her students and the small audience that gathered nearby. At that point, she was privately talking to one of her sopranos, who was struggling with the shrill quality of her voice. The rest of the class was engaged in studying their music sheets.

"Ayeka-chan, you have powerful lungs, but sometimes, you might not be aware that you open your mouth too early in the scale. What happens then is it causes a gag reflex in the root of your tongue, and that cuts off your upper range, and in turn creates that 'shrill' quality." Tomoyo used her forefingers to further demonstrate her point. "You should only have this amount of space between your teeth until you're on about high D or E flat, remember that."

The little girl nodded.

"We'll run through some vocal exercises later today, just so everyone can get used to pronouncing with their tongues instead of their jaws." She looked at the empty piano bench, and then at the wall clock. "It's been nearly an hour, and Mamoru-san isn't here yet." She was referring to their pianist. "I hope he's doing okay."

"Daidouji-san," called Sister Chiaki, the young nun novitiate who was a teacher-assistant of the catechism class next door. "Mamoru-san's wife just called to say he won't make it today. He's suffering from arthritis again, I believe."

"That explains why he isn't here yet." Tomoyo clicked her tongue worriedly. "Well, I guess I should get started on my class. Thanks for dropping by, Sister Chiaki."

"You're welcome, Daidouji-san." The nun-in-training gave her a cheerful wave before disappearing from the room.

Tomoyo beamingly faced her class of expectant students. "Well, everyone, I guess this is a good opportunity as any to practice singing a capella. Ready?" With an efficient clap of her hands, the girls straightened, ready to sing.

And then her long, slender fingers gracefully began to move, signaling the beginning of the harmonious refrain of angelic voices.

….

An hour later, the church was empty. Tomoyo sat down the piano bench, looking problematic. She knew Mamoru-san wanted nothing but to keep doing what he loves—namely, playing the piano for the church. But she was worried that his arthritis was killing his joints, particularly his blessed fingers that create the wonderful music for her and the girls.

Her fingers tapped a few keys on the piano, the notes incoherent. Her knack for playing musical instruments was inversely proportional to her talent in singing. Her trained ears understood tonality, but she falters when she attempts to translate it to the instruments.

She remembered exactly one tune on the piano, which she suddenly found her fingers moving instinctively to. "Twin-kle, twin-kle, lit-tle star… H, I, J,K, L, M, N, O, P… up a-bove the world-so-high… W, X, Y, and Z…"

"A modern nursery rhymes mash-up, Daidouji-san?"

Her gaze embarrassedly shifted to the source of the voice. Hiiragizawa Eriol stood behind her, hands stuffed in his pants. Her hands moved to primly drape the fabric cover of the piano back down. "What a pleasant surprise, Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Your sincerity needs some work, Daidouji-san," he teased lightly, embarrassing her even more. He gave her a good-natured smile in return. "Would you like to give the song another go?"

"I would rather not."

"Now don't be such a prude, Daidouji-san."

"I'm not being one—" She saw his grin widen. "Oh, fine!" She opted to close her eyes, though, just so she wouldn't have to see the mischievous twinkle on his gray eyes. Then she began to sing.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star… H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O—" Her eyes fluttered open when she heard playful music accompanying her silly rhyme. Her eyes darted to the keys, where she found Eriol's graceful fingers on the ivory and black keys. She slowly looked up and saw Eriol's bespectacled face next to hers. He was stooping from behind, arms draped over her shoulders so his hands could reach the keys.

"Don't stop singing," he instructed, eyes still set on the keys. His fingers wove an impromptu refrain while he waited for her to continue.

Her cheeks felt hot, but she was determined to not clue him into the extent of her discomfort. And so she continued her ditty. "H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P… one for my master, and one for my dame…

…

Tomoyo sighed as she watched the scene by the piano unfold. _Hiiragizawa-kun, I vaguely remember this happening, and now that I have to see this again, I feel twice ashamed that you got me good._

The absent present-day Eriol chuckled amusedly. _Mozart must be very proud, the way you desecrated his arrangement._

She let out another sigh and proceeded to watch the pair on the piano bench. The woman on the bench was still blushing furiously, and she knew why. Men almost never engaged with _the _Daidouji Tomoyo in such proximity. Even Li Syaoran, the closest person she knew to a male friend, respectfully maintained physical distance between them.

Yet here was Hiiragizawa Eriol blatantly violating the intangible boundaries the rest of the Tomoeda men set.

_The foreigner from London sure does not know his place, does he?_ Eriol's voice said in a sing-song tone.

_Will you please, please stop invading my thoughts? _she shot back.

_Do you know what I realized during that time, Daidouji-san?_

_What?_ she asked skeptically.

_I really liked your shampoo,_ he answered casually.

Her cheeks turned crimson. _So the reason I found my robe in your bathroom is that you invited me to your tub in the past because you wanted to know what shampoo I use, yes?_

She felt herself flush even more when Eriol broke into laughter, crisply mixing with the upbeat piano music and Past Tomoyo's nonsensical lyrics.

...

The scene changed once more.

Daidouji Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa Eriol were walking home from the church when the former mentioned she needed to visit someone. The latter offered to accompany her, with seemingly no other option save for an affirmative response.

"I need to buy flowers first though," said the raven-haired female. She motioned vaguely to the commercial blocks on the right. "Mamoru-san's house shouldn't be too far from the flower shop."

"Ah, so does courtship work the other way around now? I am so out-dated with social norms nowadays," quipped Eriol.

"Mamoru-san is our pianist, Hiiragizawa-kun. And also, forget social norms. You should have retained the Flower Cards spells—they can get pretty profitable every February."

"Ah, the Daidouji entrepreneurial spirit!"

The pair's banter went on, unaware that they were being trailed after by present-day Tomoyo. She wore a confused look.

_Didn't you have your own garden, Hiiragizawa-kun? _she asked her companion spirit.

_Flowering ones? _said Eriol. _I only started one recently. I do have the standard fare trees-and-bushes landscapes that comes with mansions, though._

_Ah, I thought you've always had a green thumb, _she said, surprised.

_I wasn't born with one—I was just inspired to have one. And I'm quite happy with it, despite being a late bloomer, pardon the pun,_ he explained with a grin.

They were now standing in front of Tomoeda's town flower shop. Their past forms were already in the premises, peering at flower catalogues while the florist stood by dutifully.

_Ne, Hiiragizawa-kun, do you know what people say about those who have green thumbs? _asked Tomoyo out of the blue.

_That they have even greener thoughts? _he guessed.

Her mouth twitched. _Can't men stay asexual for even just five minutes?_

_Daidouji-san, I was referring to environmental thoughts back there. I am appalled. But do tell me what else I should know about green thumbs._

_Well_, she began, _they say that green thumbs can make anything grow, because they're the nurturing type._

_That sounds like me alright, _agreed Eriol.

_Yet… _She paused, wondering how to tactfully ask that one question at the back of her mind.

She heard him sigh in acquiescence. _Is it about Kaho?_

Tomoyo nearly buckled, sensing that she was treading on dangerous lines. Yet her desire to be completely candid with him prevailed. _W-Well, I felt that when you left for England together, it meant your relationship is in a whole different level. Yet based on what I saw earlier in the shrine, you separated ways. But you are a gardener, Hiiragizawa-kun. You won't let a lovely rose die._

_Things happen, Daidouji-san,_ he explained evenly. _And always for a reason. It's something I wouldn't want to go through again if I can help it, but I understand that is simply how life works._

"Might I suggest you pick this?" Past Eriol's voice drifted into their conversation, interrupting them. When they turned to watch, the Londoner was pointing to Past Tomoyo a bouquet of dark pink roses accentuated by yarrow flowers and stalks. "Dark pink roses mean gratitude, while the yarrows are good luck herbs, as recounted by Eastern and Greek war myths. These should satisfactorily express your sentiments to Mamoru-san."

"Thank you, Hiiragizawa-kun." She briefly turned to the florist to place her order, and then turned her gaze back at him. "You certainly know your flowers well."

"_De nada. _That's what manly he-men like me do when we're not busy pressing benches or perfecting our tans in salons," he replied smilingly. He then looked at the price tag and whistled. "These sure are expensive, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo frowned thoughtfully at that.

…..

"Ne, Hiiragizawa-kun, what were the first flowers you grew?" Tomoyo asked casually as they made their way out of the shop.

"Red roses—" Eriol's voice trailed off as Tomoyo's eyes sparkled in triumph.

From her hiding place, Present Tomoyo cupped her face, shaking her head in mock disbelief. _Ohoho! Hiiragizawa-kun, how low can you get, lying about something as simple as your hobby._

_I didn't lie,_ reasoned the mage. _I did just learn to cultivate flowers while with Kaho. Besides, I learned my lesson to not even try and pull one over Daidouji Tomoyo, thanks to that certain incident._

"You had a garden before," Past Tomoyo told the flabbergasted Londoner confidently. "Your unnatural interest and knowledge of flowers clued me in, plus how surprised you looked when you saw the bouquet price told me you never used a flower service before. Lack of floral sources is a taboo for sophisticated, tea-drinking magical English gentlemen reincarnations such as yourself, you know."

"I would have been impressed by your logic if they did not consist of assumptions and stereotypes," said Eriol good-naturedly.

"Oh, a Daidouji's business sense consists of two things: good hunches and very strong opinions." Tomoyo gave him a sideway glance. "Red roses—you grew them for Mizuki-sensei, didn't you?"

He looked amazed. "By Jove, yes, I did! Now count me among the believers of the Way of the Daidouji."

She refused to be diverted by his subtle attempt to steer clear from her questioning. "So why did you stop growing roses?"

He looked at her silently for a few moments, then gave her an affable smile that did not reach his eyes. "She realized that getting roses and private poetry reading sessions from a kid is far too kitschy in society's eyes."

Both the Past and Present Tomoyo froze, unable to come up with a proper response to that.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
